FEW paths to success are linear – anyone who has ever pursued any goal or dream will know there are bumps and bruises along the way.

The last few weeks have been a little like that for me but it’s OK – I bounce well!

A few weeks ago, while doing pull ups in the gym, I dislocated my right shoulder and had to go to ER for it to be put back in. It was a painful experience, even more so because this has happened before and I had done a good job of rehabilitating it.

Almost every athlete has a weakness or injury they have to manage carefully and my right shoulder has always been mine.

For it to happen mid-season when I was just getting into the flow of racing is particularly frustrating but my energy now is focused on stabilising and strengthening it.

Prior to that, I had parted ways with my coach Matt Dixon and the purplepatch team and moved from San Francisco back to Los Angeles. Having worked with Matt since the end of 2011, we both felt it was time to change things up and for me to begin a new chapter.

I am, of course, delighted to be back in southern California. For me, it has always been home away from home.

My last race was the Ironman 70.3 Texas at the end of April where I finished third and I definitely felt like I was coming into form and rediscovering the fire in my belly.

I had been due to race at Ironman 70.3 Raleigh last weekend and at Escape from Alcatraz this weekend, but unfortunately I’ve obviously had to withdraw from those.

I’m back to gentle swimming and am able to ride and run again, so I am hopeful it won’t be too long before I can return to racing. But for now, my energy and focus is most certainly on healing.

When plans go awry, it is important to let them go and draw up another plan, which is exactly what I’ve done, and I’m looking forward to hitting the races at the back end of the season when I’m back to 100 per cent. Watch out!

Thank you to my sponsors, including Swindon’s Morris Owen Chartered Accountants and Virtua UK, for their continued help and support. I’ll be back again in two weeks, but in the meantime you can follow my latest happenings via my Twitter and Instagram (@eklidbury) and on my blog at www.eklidbury.co.uk